Where should we look for housing in Southern OC? (Orange: apartments, condo)

[Coldjensens]

Since you have chosen south County and apparently eliminated beach cities (probably due to cost) it does nto matter which south county city you choose. They are all basically identical. You will not be able to tell when you are in one city or another in that area. They just merge from one city into another with no real demarcation and no real change or difference between them. Just find a house that you like.

[OC dwellings]

Hi Elsa

My husband and I moved to Orange County 5 years ago. We happily settled in Laguna Niguel. We wanted to be close to the coast (my husband loves to surf), and really liked everything that the Dana Point/Laguna Niguel area had to offer.

I would like to recommend South Orange County, specifically Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. Aliso Viejo is very close to the 73 toll road and also has good freeway access (133 to the 405). There are a variety of homes in Aliso Viejo that meet your 1800 – 2200 square foot needs. One of the nice things about Aliso Viejo is that they have detached condos. So more affordable than a single family home, but no shared walls like other condos/townhouses. Plus you get backyard space as well. Nothing large, but a nice bonus.

Laguna Niguel is another fabulous city. Really close to the beach. Great freeway access too. However, it will take a little longer to get to Costa Mesa from Laguna Niguel. You could probably budget 35 minutes to get to Costa Mesa during commute hours – but that depends on where the office is located.

Mission Viejo is another family friendly neighborhood worth considering. Great freeway access. However, it does tend to get a bit hotter inland. You will definitely notice a difference between Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo temperatures.

All three of these cities have fantastic schools as well.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you would like to know more about the neighborhood.


Kendra
Laguna Niguel, CA

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Got any more religious stereotypes? Methodists? Very white
Presbyterians? Very boring
Jews? Don't take their hats off indoors

[elsa137]

Originally Posted by OC dwellings

Kendra
Laguna Niguel, CA

Thanks Kendra! I appreciate your thoughtful response. Funnily enough, when we did go out in September we drove down the PCH and turned inland at Laguna Niguel (by a Gelsons, I remember that... we stopped and I was shocked at the price of bacon there ) and liked the area around Aliso Viejo.

We stopped at a Farmer's Market in a big parking lot in Laguna Niguel (next to a Fedex Kinko's and Corner Bakery) and got some delicious raspberries. We'll look around there in more depth when we return. Thanks again!

[Fontucky]

Gelson's is designed to be overpriced.

[redjan1225]

Hi Elsa,

I wouldn't rule out other parts of Orange County.

I grew up in Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills and would highly recommend each as family friendly communities. I've since left California, but visit my sister in law in Aliso frequently and the one thing I absolutely hate there is the fog. It seems to drizzle ALL the time. I love sunshine (lucky me I live in the desert now). Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda and even parts of Orange offer close proximity to the 55 freeway that takes you right in to Costa Mesa within a reasonable timeframe. You are further away from the fog, but still a close trip to the beach. I'm not a beach person, and much preferred the rolling hills slightly more inland. I also love the city of Orange and think it has lots of nice (primarily older) areas.

While I think housing prices in Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda are insane, you'll probably get more bang for your buck than you would closer to the beach.

Best of luck to you!

[pacific2]

Um, no, it is not usually foggy or drizzling in Aliso Viejo. True, there are some early mornings when a marine layer blankets the skies (AV is ocean close), but it’s usually sunny here. Today is an exception, of course, since we are in the rainy season and the past several days have been wet.

Just an aside, I don’t know of anyone who spends all of their time in AV, and one of its advantages is the fact that it can serve as a ready springboard to other locations. That makes Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point Harbor, etc., very accessible.

In fact, since the 73 Toll Road runs right through AV, so you can make it from Aliso to Costa Mesa in under twenty minutes.

This promotional video will give you more information, but you will find, as someone else noted, that most South Orange County cities tend to have much in common and seem to blend into one another.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpN40_1h5NE

[pacific2]

There are a few homes of at least 1800 square feet available in AV for less than $500,000. For example, the asking price for this place is $497,000. It’s a 3 bd/2.5 bath with 1819 square feet:

6 Maple Dr, ALISO VIEJO, CA 92656 | Listing Information | Southern California MLS homes for sale (http://www.socalmls.com/CA/ALISO-VIEJO/92656/homes-for-sale/6-Maple-Dr-53125604 - broken link)

The asking price on this SFR is $494,999 and it has 1932 sq ft with 4bd/2.5 baths and a large (for California) backyard:

1 LARKMEAD, ALISO VIEJO, CA 92656 | Listing Information | Southern California MLS homes for sale (http://www.socalmls.com/CA/ALISO-VIEJO/92656/homes-for-sale/1-LARKMEAD-53875045 - broken link)

Also, I don’t know about these particular properties, but cathedral ceilings and sky lights are common in AV homes and can help add to a feeling of spaciousness. I imagine that if you wanted, you could even convert the sky light to one that opens with a remote in order to help cool your home.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Gelson's is designed to be overpriced.

Remember what it was originally?

[Fontucky]

You mean the one in Laguna Niguel? (sorry, can't force myself to call that area Dana Point) I recall a Safeway in that plaza, but I have no idea what it looks like now or what building Gelson's occupies.